"I write, not for children, but for the child-like, whether they be of five, or fifty, or seventy-five." George MacDonald

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Month: January 2017

My name is Amos. You don’t know me. I’m just a boy and not very important, I guess. But, I have a really good story to tell if you’d like to hear it. It’s not about me though. It’s really about my sister. Her name is Naomi. But, you probably don’t really know her either, at least not by name. I understand that most people only really know that she is my Papa’s daughter. You might know my Papa though. My Papa’s name is Jairus. This is about the day that my Papa met the Master. You know who He is. The Master is Jesus.

Well, it all started in a kind of silly way. You see Naomi and I were both still a little hungry one night. There was just a little bit of fish left over from a picnic that we had gone on the day before. Mama had said to throw it away because it was summer and food spoiled quicker in the heat, but Naomi and I had hidden some for a snack later. I had eaten mine the evening before, but she had saved hers until last night. She ate it just before going to bed and there was no problem at the time. That night we went to bed just like usual. But, Papa and Mama were talking about something really important so I kind of stayed awake to listen. They were talking about a rabbi named Jesus. I had heard about him from some of the other boys. They told me that this Jesus was healing sick people like leper’s and blind people. The blind people were getting to see, just like you and me. And some people were even saying that he was the Messiah that we Jews had waited such a long time for.

Well, anyway, Mama and Papa were almost arguing about this rabbi Jesus. Mama was telling Papa about all the wonderful things people were saying about Him. But Papa said that he had heard at the synagogue that Jesus was stirring up the people to rebel against the Romans and against the scribes and Pharisees in Jerusalem. Papa was sure that there was going to be some trouble with this rabbi and that we should stay away from Jesus and not go see Him if He came to our town. Mama argued that she wanted to know more, that this man might be a prophet or even the Messiah and she wanted to make up her own mind. Papa said that if this man named Jesus were a prophet, he would be recognized by the leaders in the synagogue or by the scribes and Pharisees in Jerusalem. But they were all sure He was some sort of troublemaker like those zealots that keep trying to stir up rebellion against Rome. Papa said he was going to stay away from Jesus and he made it clear that Mama and us children were to do the same.

That was pretty much all they said. Then they went to bed and we all had a peaceful sleep until about two hours before dawn. Naomi started moaning and groaning something awful. And she was holding her stomach saying that it was hurting really bad. Mama got up first to see what was wrong and to get her some water mixed with a little wine. That would usually help out an upset stomach, but Naomi just started throwing up all over the place. Mama then called for me and Papa to get up and help out. I had to get a big bowl with water in it and some rags to help clean up the mess. Mama asked Papa if they should send for the doctor and he said to wait a little bit to see if Naomi would settle down.

Two hours later the sun was coming up, we were all still very tired and Naomi was still moaning and groaning. Only now she was going at it with all she had. I am sure that they could hear her halfway across the village. Papa then decided that it was time to go and get the doctor. When Doctor Gomer got there, he mumbled a lot and gave her some of his medicine to take, but she just threw that up too. Some of the other ladies in the village came to see what they could do and each one of them seemed to have a favorite remedy to give someone with stomach pain. I think that Mama tried them all and Naomi threw them all up. Finally, about four hours after the sun came up it was high in the sky and warming the air pretty good, Naomi fell asleep.

The king made his entrance onto a balcony overseeing the courtyard, horns blaring. The guards commanded everyone to be quiet under threat of death. The king began to speak.

“Citizens of the great kingdom of Babel, thank you for meeting with me here today. It has come to my attention that the farmers of the valley do not want to sell me their crops of hay. No, I am told that they prefer to make their hay a gift to their king. Isn’t that generous?”

There was confusion and a great commotion amongst the farmers at this announcement.

“And indeed, they even wish to offer their sons as laborers for this mighty work of their king.”

Now the commotion grew louder as the farmers protested at the top of their lungs.

“I wish to thank you for your generosity and to promise you that if you should change your minds about this gift, I will have to make an example of one of your sons, to encourage you to continue your generosity until we have completed this tower that will reach up to the heavens.

As you can see, the tower is going to be completed soon because of your help. It will demonstrate the greatness of your king and his kingdom and new gods that I choose for us to worship.”

The commotion raised by the farmers continued to grow even louder in protest to what they were hearing.

“I can see that there are those among you who are not in complete agreement with my wishes, and are perhaps clinging to those old superstitions about the God of Noah. I am greater than any God of Noah; I am Nimrod, the most powerful warrior of all time. I will now show you that I mean what I say. Guards, take the boy that was selected to serve as a sacrifice to my will.”

The guards grabbed Joktan and pulled him to the center of the courtyard. He was surrounded by guards with spears pointed at him. Now instead of being filled with confidence, Joktan was suddenly filled with fear as he stared at the guards and their weapons.

The king resumed his speech.

“This tower and this city are a tribute to me, your king. You all owe me everything you have because I am the king. This tower is a tribute to me and what I can do. I will show you what happens to the sons of those that choose their mythical god over their service to me. Guards, exebla ga zornin!”

Suddenly no one could understand the king’s words any longer. When the guards asked each other what the king said, they couldn’t understand each other either.

The same thing was happening all over town and up on the tower. The workers couldn’t understand the foremen or each other, and they began to go back down to the ground where everyone was shouting at the tops of their lungs. Slowly small groups of those that could understand each other began to form and move off in one direction or another.

The same thing happened in the courtyard. The king continued to shout at the top of his lungs, but with so many other people doing the same he could not be heard. The sons and the fathers broke free from the confused guards.

Eber and Adah found Peleg. They were relieved they could still understand each other in their normal language. Together they looked until they found Joktan and sadly found that they could no longer understand him or he them. After a number of fruitless attempts to talk with him, Joktan grew angry and ran away.

When Eber and Peleg got home, they discovered that they same thing had happened there. Families were scattered all over the land as they tried to find groups of people they could communicate with. They found Joktan with a group of people that understood him, and he eventually migrated away from Babel with them, never to see his family again.

God was faithful and saved those who trusted in him. The others were scattered around the world as He had originally commanded. When you believe and obey, God is faithful, just you wait and see.

Back at the home of Eber, there was a single knock at the door before it burst open in a sea of splinters and a dozen or more soldiers rushed in and began capturing all of the farmers at the meeting.

The commander of the guards approached Eber and said, “Be especially careful with this one. The king is particularly anxious to see him in the morning.” Turning to the rest of his troops the commander shouted, “All right get these rebels out to the wagons for their trip to prison and don’t be gentle about it!”

Adah and the other wives tried to get to their husbands only to be shoved away by the soldiers. Eber shouted to his wife, “Pray Adah, pray…the Lord will hear and protect us.”

Adah could only cry and slumped to the ground outside their home as she watched helplessly. The wagons, surrounded by torch-bearing soldiers, were driven back to the city. She felt as though she had not only lost her husband this night but both of her sons as well.

Several friends got her up and helped her inside. After a few moments of weeping, Adah sat up straight in her chair, dried her tears and said, “All right ladies, it’s our turn. We must intercede for our men and children before the Lord, and keep at it until they return to us.”

With that she slipped out of her chair, down to the floor on her knees and began to pray, the others doing the same. “Lord of heaven and earth, creator of all that is, God of Adam, Noah and Enoch, hear our humble prayers…”

# # #

The next morning in the royal chambers King Nimrod dressed in his finest royal robes and spoke tersely to the commander of his royal guard.

“Do you have them all assembled for me to address?”

Bowing low to the king, his commander replied, “Yes Your Majesty, all of the farmers are present including that troublemaker Eber.”

“What about the sons of those rebellious farmers? Are they present as well for me to make examples of?”

“Yes, your majesty, including the two sons of Eber.”

“One of them tried to cooperate with us did he not?”

“Yes your majesty, but it did not work. His father still continued to form a rebellion against your demands.”

“Well then, he didn’t try hard enough, did he? We shall make an example of him first.”

“As you command, sire.”

# # #

“Eber, where is the Lord now that we need Him?” one of the neighboring farmers asked him as they stood assembled in the courtyard awaiting the arrival of the king. “Now, not only am I at risk of losing my life, my son has been captured as well. Does the Lord not hear our cries or feel our pain?”

Eber stood silent for a moment whispering yet another plea to the Lord in his deeply troubled heart.

“Good friend, He hears our cries and feels our pain. But we must hold true and believe. We are standing in obedience to Him against King Nimrod whose only desire is to defy the living God. Great Grandfather Noah had a saying, ‘God is faithful, just you wait and see.’ I suggest that you be patient my friend. Wait and see what the Lord will do.”

# # #

As they stood in the courtyard opposite their fathers waiting for the appearance of the king, Peleg whispered to his brother, “Joktan, what is going on with you? Why won’t you talk to me? Tell me what you were doing with those guards last night? They didn’t have you tied up. You were sitting playing a game with them at the table. It didn’t look like you were their prisoner.”

Joktan stood silently refusing to answer his brother.

“Joktan! Talk to me! We risked our lives to rescue you!”

Joktan finally whipped around to face his older brother, “Well, it sounds like you have it figured out, don’t you? I was working with them to get Pop to see the light. You weren’t supposed to rescue me. Pop was supposed to see the light and sell the hay to the king. Everything would have been fine, but no you had to play the hero and try to free me.”

“But supporting the tower is wrong! Joktan, Pop says that the Lord wants people to scatter around the whole earth, not stay in one place. King Nimrod wants to build this tower as a tribute to himself and as an affront to the Lord. He thinks that he is more powerful than the Lord. That’s prideful and wrong!”

“Says who? Pop? He’s just basing that on some old stories about Great Great Grampa Noah that were passed down. Those things aren’t true. They’re just stories that people tell. I don’t believe ‘em. I believe in the king. He’s the one with the power to help us or to hurt us. I am on his side, and he’s gonna thank me for that before this is all over. You’ll see.”

“Joktan, I don’t believe what I am hearing you say. Are you rejecting everything you’ve been taught?”

“Yes, now be quiet, here comes the king. You’ll see how right I was to side with him. You’ll see.”

Please forgive the gap in story sections. Between the holidays and getting my editing business running again, I have been very busy. Here we go!

# # #

Just as Eber was preparing for his meeting and Peleg went out to meet his friends, Leban and the foreman were plotting with some of their men.

Leban stood up and spoke to the men.

“I have heard that our leading citizen Eber is calling a meeting of the farmers in the valley tonight at his home to convince them to resist the king’s demand for all of their hay. Gentlemen, the king has told me to make sure that this resistance fails. We have Eber’s oldest son Joktan in our custody, supposedly as a hostage, to convince his father to go along. Actually, Joktan is a willing participant in this ruse and is on our side. I want some of you to go to that meeting at Eber’s farm tonight and remind the farmers why they should go along with us. I suggest that you take a wagon and kidnap a son from each farm to help convince their fathers to go along. The king may also send out some troops to speed things up. I hear that he wants to bring things to a head tomorrow. “

# # #

Peleg left the house just as the moon was rising and arrived in the hayfield. He and a group of about ten boys were ready to go and rescue Joktan. After some talking and organization by Peleg, they headed off for the tower construction site quickly and quietly. The plan was to create a disturbance outside to draw the attention of the guards, get inside the shack, overpower any remaining guards and rescue Joktan.

# # #

At Eber’s home, there was much talk. After an hour or more, Eber finally convinced most of them that they should stand against the king in obedience to the Lord. They were frightened, but Eber promised them that the Lord would help them stand against the king. They elected Eber as their emissary to the king to deliver their refusal. Just as they were taking the final vote, there was a loud knock at the door.

# # #

When Peleg and the other boys arrived at the construction site, Peleg sent some of them around the north side of the tower while he and the others went around the south side so that they could approach the shack from both sides. The two forces each stopped around fifty yards from either side of the shack and waited while Peleg crept up to the shack to make sure that Joktan was still inside and safe. As he crept up underneath the window, he could hear voices very clearly inside the shack and one of them was Joktan’s. He wasn’t sure, but it sounded like they were playing some sort of game. But, it was clear that they were not expecting an attack of any sort. Peleg signaled the boys to begin the rescue.

The ones from the north started whooping and hollering while running past the entrance of the shack toward the south pausing just long enough for the guards to come out and follow them.

The boys from the south circled around the west side of the shack, pounding the outside with sticks. As they did that, Peleg and a couple of the larger boys rushed in through the front door. Once inside Peleg found Joktan sitting at the table with a couple of guards playing a game.

Peleg closed the door and said to his brother, “Come on Joktan, we have the place surrounded. Let’s go!” The other boys had no trouble overpowering the two guards and tying them up.

Joktan stared at his brother, clearly surprised he said, “Peleg, what are you doing here?”

“We’ve come to rescue you brother, me and all of our friends in the valley. Now come on, let’s go before those other guards get back.”

Joktan looked hard at his brother and said, “Peleg, I’m not going back with you.”

“What? What is wrong with you? You told me to go home and tell Pop. I did that. He told me not to come back after you, but I got our friends together and did it anyway. We have risked a lot to get you out of here, and you are coming home.”

“No, you don’t understand…I…I…”

At that moment, a lot of shouting and yelling started outside the shack. The door burst open, and a dozen of the king’s soldiers entered capturing Peleg, Joktan and the boys that were inside.

The soldier’s commander pointed at Joktan and Peleg and said, “You two are going to spend the rest of the night in prison, the king wants to see you in the morning, and he is not happy.”

Joktan and Peleg looked at each other and began to protest to the commander, but he just ignored them as their arms were bound and they were hauled off roughly by the soldiers.